Combined brake and power controller.



Patented lune 25',

E. W. STULL. COMBINED BRAKE AND POWER CONTROLLER.

(A. plic fon led sept. 28, 1900.] (no nodal.) p a s sheets-smi 1.

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Qi Arran/1er No. 677,|45. Patented June 25, mol.

E. W. STULL.

COMBINED BRAKE AND POWER CONTROLLER.

(Applicatin med sept. 2s. 1900.)

(No Modal.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S :Tra/mfr.

Pateted lune 25,I Ism.

No. 677,I45.

' E.' Ll. STULL.

COMBINED BRAKE AND POWER CUNTROLLER.

(Applicn on filed Sept. 28. 1900.)

5 Sheets-Shad 3.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

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Patented Iune25, 190|. v E. W. STULL.

CDIBINED BRAKE :2ND POWER CONTROLLER` (Applicatim led Sept, 28. 1900.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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COIBINEDBRAKE AID POWER CONTROLLER.'

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMMETT W. STULL, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED BRAKE AND POWER CONTROLLER.

p SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,145, dated J' une 25, 1901.

Application tiled `September 28,1900.l Serial No. 31,426. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, z5 may concern.'

Be it known that I, EMMETT W. STULL, of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Combined Brake and Power Controller, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention is designed to provide a combined motor-controller and electric brake in which the mechanical parts and electrical connections are very considerably simplified and reduced in number and in which the several operations of changing the motors from series to parallel, reversing the direction of the car, removing either motor from circuit, and applying an electric brake may be performed by the operation of one or the other of two handles or levers. Y

To this end my invention consists in providing a rotary switch of improved character which when moved in one direction from its off position will effect the regulation of the motors to govern their power and speed and when moved in the'other direction will connect the motors in a closed circuit to run as generators 'and regulate their operation as such. In connection therewith I employ a second mechanically-independent but electrically-related switch of a type heretofore known, which can be operated to reverse the direction of rotationof the motors and also remove either motor from circuit. In connection with the first-named switch I also provide an auxiliary switch operated automatically as said rst-named switch is thrown over from its power to its brake positions to effect certain circuit changes.

My invention also consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagram or development inl plane of switches and connections embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a view, partly in vertical section and partly inA side elevation, of a portion of Inyimproved power and brake controller; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of ally the circuit conditions which result from the different positions of the said drum.

y The letter C designates the rotary drum of the combined regulator and brake switch, operated by a handle C. This drum is of wellknown mechanicaltype and is provided with a plurality of contacts c, which cooperate with the fixed contact-lingers f f2, dac. The contacts c maybe arranged to effect any desired system of control.y The particular arrangement shown is designed to effect the method of control described and claimed in `the patentto F. A. Merrick, No. 645,116, dated March 13, 1900, in which the motors are changed from series to parallel relation by intermediate steps, wherein the fields are first connected in parallel and the armature in series and then the armatures are connected in parallel and the fields in series. The seven running power positions of the drum are indicated by the vertical lines numbered from 1 to 7, inclusive, in the diagram Fig. 1. In this diagram the'two motors are indicated, respectively, as No. land No. 2, and their field and y armature coils are further respectively designated as Fe' F62 Ar Arg. RS indicates vthe reversing and cut-out switch, having a plurality of contacts e and contact-fingers S S S2, dac. This switch is preferably of the wellknown type employed in the No. 38 condrum C, however, is designed to have arotary movement in the other direction from its off position from that which it has in the normal control of the motors, and there is accordingly provided'on the Yother side of the drum a plurality of additional contacts 7c k', dac., for engagement with the contact-fingers f' f2, &c., in the four braking positions indicated by the vertical lines la 2a 3 4'.

s' s2 s3 s4 designate the four iXed contacts of an auxiliary switch, and Z a movable contact member of the same. This movable member is carried on an arm Z', which is pivoted to the controller-frame at tand is arranged to bear on a cam T on the shaft of the drum C.v This cam has a lowportion Ta, a high portion Tc, and an intermediate portion Tb. T' is a spring for holding the arm Z in engagement with the said cam. The construction and arrangement of Athis auxiliary switch are clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. When the drum C is at its off position, the free end of the arm Z' is resting on the intermediate portion Tb of the cam T, and the movable contact member Zis held midway between the two pairs of contacts s', s2, s3, and s4, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. When said drum is turned to any one of its brake positions, the

highvportion To of the cam actuates `the arm Z to move the member Z into bridging'engagement with the contacts s3 s4; but when the drum is turned to any one of its power positions the arm Z follows the low portion Ta of the cam and the member Z is moved to connect the two contacts s' s2. Contacts s and s3 are permanentlyelectrically connected together, and contact s3 is connected to the last' section of the resistance R and also to the first contact-finger f. Contact s4 is permanently connected to the blow-out coil and also to the contact-finger fm. Contact s2 is permanently connected to ground. The drum C is also provided with a special contact C2, whose corresponding contact-finger C3 is permane'ntly connected to the first section of the resistance R. v

The circuits can be readily traced from the diagram. In the first power position the current after passing through the two motors in series returns to the finger f4, thence to the contact cz, thence to linger C3, thence to and through all the resistance R, thence to contacts s3, s', Z, and s2 of the auxiliary'switch, and to ground. In the second position one section of the resistance is short-circuited by the engagement of the ingerf3 with the corresponding contact c. In the third position the'engagement of the tingerfzwith the corresponding contact short-circuits a second section is short-,circuited at position 4 by the section of theresistance, and the remaining contact engagement of nger f At position 5 the lields are placed in parallel, as shown in Fig. 8, with the armatures in series, and at position 6 the armatures are connected in multiple and the fields in series. At position 7 thetwo motors are connected in full multiple. Throughout positions 5, 6, and 7 the resistance remains short-circuited, as will be readily seen. To apply the electric brake,

the handle C is turned by off position and successively through positions 1a, 2", 3a, and 4a. In passing to position la the switch member Z is automatically shifted from the contacts s' s2 to the contacts s3 s4, the trolley connection is broken, and the motors are connected in a closed circuit, in which the fields and armatures of the two motors are connected in parallel and all the resistance R is included in circuit.v The current generated by the motors now passes vfrom the positive brushes through the reversing-switch to the blow-out coil, thence to and through the auxiliary switch, to and through the resistance R, to contact C2. Contact C2 is electrically connected with the contacts l7a4 and k6, and the circuit divides between these contacts, one path being from contact 104 to flngerfthrough I the reversing-switch to field Fe2, returning to linger f4, to contacts k2 7c3. The other path is from contact k6 to linger f8, through the reversing-switch to lield Fc', returning to linger f5, to contacts k2 7a3. The 4contacts 102703 are electrically connected together and also to the contacts 105 k7, and the current returns to the negative side of the armature An"2 by way of contact c5 and finger f7 andv to the negative side of armature Ar' by contact k7 and finger ff.

ger f3 engages the contact lo', and thus short- At position 2. the only change is that fincircuits one section of the resistance R. At

position 3 the engagement of the finger f2 with the contact 7i: short-circuits a second section of resistance, and at position 4a the engagement of ingerf with one of the extended contacts c short-circuits the entire resistance.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the entire operation of controllingand braking the motors is effected by the operation of the one handle C', the reverse-switch being operated onlyl to reverse the direction of movement of the car or to cut out one of the motors when disabled. It will also be noted that the addition to the drum C of the braking poloo IIO

`additional connections and that no additional ngers are required.

I do .not wish to be limited to the details of construction, combination, and arrangement which I have herein shown and described, as these may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as it is set forth in the followingl claims. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a combined power and brake controller for electric motors of the series type, a

unitary movable switch member having onone portion of its surface a plurality of contacts arranged to shift the'motors from series to parallel relation, and upon another portion of its surface other contacts arranged to entirely open' the trolley-circuit and to connect the motors with their fields and armatures in reversedrelations in a closed circuit to run as generators, said switch member having intermediate the two sets 'or groups of contacts an open-circuit position, together with stationary ngers common to both sets or groups of contacts.

2. In a combined power and brake controller for electric motorsy of the series type, a switch having one set of movable contacts for regulating they power and speed of the motors,

and another set of movable contacts arranged to entirely open the trolley-circ uit and toconnect said motors in a closed circuit to run as generators, both of said sets of contacts be- .ing carried bya single member, and between saidsets of contacts an open-circuit position,

vtogether with stationary cooperating contactingers common to both sets of movable contacts.

3. In a combined power and brake controller for electric motors, the combination with the motors, and artificial, resistance for connection in circuit therewith, of a rotary switch member having one set of contacts whichin f ler, the combination with two electric mocircuit, both with and without resistance, tov 45,.

tors, and resistance for connection in circuitr therewith, of a rotary switch member having oneset of contacts for connecting said motors inseries with and without said resistance, ,and also in parallel, and also with either the armatures or the fields connected in parallel, `and the remaining elements connected in series with eachother and with the parallel connected elements, and another set of contacts forrconnecting themotors in a closed run as generators.

5. In a controller ofthe characterdescribed,

a movable contact-carryingv member havingl lcontacts uponone side for regulating the power and speed of the motors, and on its other side, other contacts arranged to entirely open the trolley-circuit and to connect the motors in a closed circuit with their armatures reversed, and to include in such closed circuitmore or less of external resistance,

6. In a controller of the character described,

the combination with a controlling-drum having one set of positions for controlling the power and speed of the motors, and other positions for connecting them to run as generators and for controlling their action as such,

of an auxiliary switch which in the firstM named positions of the drum affords a ground connection for the motors, and in its other positions connects artificial resistance in circuit with the motors, together with means for automatically throwing said auxiliary switch as the drum is moved from one set of tions to the other.

' 7. VIn a controller of the character described,

4the combination of a rotary drum having contacts for regulating the power and speed of the motors, and also for connecting them to run as generators, and for regulating their action as such, of an auxiliary switch having one position in which itcompletes aground connection for the motors, and a second position at which it connects external resistance in circuit with the motors running as generators, and a cam moving with said drum and arranged to shift the movable member of said switch at predetermined times. f

8. The combination with electric motors, and artificial resistance for connection in circuit with said motors, of a controller-drum having a continuous contact to which one end of the resistance is connected, a ground connection for the opposite end of the resistance and other contacts arranged to be connectedy at predetermined times with different sections of said resistance to short-circuit portions thereof, and mea-ns for breaking the ground connection of the resistance and connecting the normally-grounded end to said drum when the latter is in certain predetermined positions.

9. A combined power and brake controller for electric motors, having one drum provided with contacts for regulating the power and speed of the motors, and also for, connecting them in a closed circuitfto run as generators,

pand for regulating their action as such, and a vsecond switch having contacts and connections for reversing the motors and also for removing either, motor from circuit.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMMETT IV. STULL. Witnesses:

BLANCHE M. SMITH, H. W. SMITH.

posiffl 

